The Principal's Pawprint

Dear Isaac Fox Families,

At Isaac Fox Elementary, we hold three schoolwide expectations close to heart: Be Kind, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. Today, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on what being kind truly means within our community.

This year, our hearts are especially full as we remember and honor one of our own—Theo Brink, who would have been a fourth grader here at Isaac Fox this year. Theo’s legacy is one of kindness. He was a friend to all and left behind a lasting reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day. Our students continue to live out his legacy each and every day, choosing kindness in the classroom, on the playground, and throughout our school.

On Monday, September 8th, we will kick off our annual LEGO Drive, an event that holds special meaning. Theo was a lover of Legos and building, and through this drive, we celebrate his passions while also giving back. Partnering again with Bricks of Hope and our IF PTO as a sponsor, we are excited to make this year’s event the greatest yet—together, in Theo’s memory.

If you visit our playground, you’ll notice a special place of reflection was added: Theo’s yellow bench, resting beneath a tree planted in his honor. Students enjoy sitting there to talk with friends, take a break, or simply reflect. It has quickly become a symbol of community, kindness, and connection—just like Theo himself.

We are so grateful for your partnership in helping us carry Theo’s legacy forward. Let’s make this year’s Bricks of Hope event one to remember as we continue to spread kindness—just as Theo did. See the flyer below for additional information about the event.

In Partnership,
Mrs. Kelly Olivero
Principal, Isaac Fox Elementary

When our countdown ended, our community came together for our We Are Isaac Fox Assembly this past Tuesday! Here we introduced our new Positive Paws! You may have noticed your student proudly wearing a positive paws sticker declaring that they follow the Isaac Fox Expectations of Be Safe, Be Responsible and Be Kind! Following these expectations is exactly how students earn these collectibles. Each Positive Paw earned feeds into a classroom goal and then classroom goal counts help us to gain momentum toward a building trimester goal with a school-wide celebration when our collective goals are reached!

A HUGE thank you for our Isaac Fox PTO who purchased 10,000 Positive Paw stickers for students to earn throughout the year! Parents & Guardians, when you see one of these on a shirt, a water bottle or a take home folder, please celebrate along with your child! Our students are exceptional and they deserve to be recognized for doing their part to help our community be the best place to learn! After all, WE ARE...ISAAC FOX!

A Fox Pause is provided after prior interventions have already taken place on the staff’s behalf in order to help shape student behavior to help meet our school-wide expectations of Be Kind, Be Responsible, and Be Safe, here at Isaac Fox. Completing a Fox Pause provides your student with a chance to "pause" and reflect on their behavior, which school-wide expectation was not being met, and the affect that it may have had on others. During processing, your student then has the opportunity to repair the situation. Fox Pauses are a classroom managed behavior intervention that is common throughout our school. If there is a situation in which your student receives a Fox Pause, you will be notified via email or phone and a copy of the form will be sent to you. We ask that you process the incident alongside them and reinforce the school-wide expectation not being met through a guided conversation with your child. We thank you in advance for your continued partnership in supporting your student to grow in their understanding of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Thanks to the District 95 facilities department, Isaac Fox now has four new bike racks! These new bike racks are located behind our gym and cafeteria near the back parking lot. We have many students who ride their bikes to and from school and these new bike racks will be used frequently as a safe space for students to store and secure their bikes while they're at school learning!

• TODAY through Sunday, September 7th: Room Parent Sign Up (see link below)
• Monday, September 8th: Bricks of Hope Lego Drive Begins
• Monday, September 8th: After School Enrichments Begin
• Monday, September 8th: Sticky Fingers after school
• Tuesday, September 9th: Sticky Fingers after school
• Wednesday, September 10th: Young Rembrandts after school
• Thursday, September 11th: 5th Grade Orchestra before school
• Friday, September 12th: Chorus before school
• Monday, September 15th: Picture Day @ IF!
• Monday, September 15th: Sticky Fingers after school
• Tuesday, September 16th: Sticky Fingers after school
• Tuesday, September 16th-Th. September 18th: PTO Book Fair (during school)
• Wednesday, September 17th: Young Rembrandts after school
• Wednesday, September 17th: PTO Book Fair Family Night - 5:30-7:30pm
• Thursday, September 18th: 5th Grade Orchestra before school
• Friday, September 19th: Chorus before school
• Now through September 26th: One and Done Fox Fundraiser

It's time for Room Parent sign-up! If you like to plan parties, facilitate PTO communication with parents and teachers and provide teacher gifts for special occasions, then this is the role for you!

We have a new process this year where two parents will be chosen from each classroom via a random drawing (link to watch live virtually to come..keep a lookout for that in an update from PTBoard). Only one parent per family can be chosen. If you have multiple children in the school, you can put your name in for each child but can only be chosen for one classroom. Room parent coordinators will reach out to the parents that were selected and a MANDATORY Room Parent meeting will take place at 6pm on Monday, September 29th (before the regular PTO meeting). Please use the link below to fill out a form if you are interested. The link will be active from Friday 9/5 through Sunday 9/7. Any questions, please reach out to Nina Larson and Jen Johnson (Room Parent Coordinators).

Click this link to sign up to be included in the drawing: https://forms.gle/qLd4rNMcD4Tf7hYy6

Don't forget to sign up for PTBoard! This is the "one stop shop" for all Isaac Fox PTO information. It helps you stay connected and ensures that you receive all of the information pushed out from our PTO.

This Fall the PTO is offering the following options:

Picture Day is on a Monday, so set a reminder in your phone now! Help your students show their style and bring their best smile on September 15th! More information to come from PTO regarding how to order pictures.

As a system, we have been notified of several cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) district-wide in the first few weeks of school. While this virus is more common in younger students, it can be transmitted to older students and adults. Families can find more information about symptoms, what to do if you suspect your student has HFMD, and care by clicking HERE.

As we welcome students, families, and other visitors back to school buildings this school year, we wanted to take a moment to share some important safety reminders:

• All visitors must have an appointment in order to enter school district buildings (which includes the Administrative building); our front office staff are happy to help facilitate making an appointment if you need assistance (NOTE: this does not apply to quick drop-offs in the vestibule, such as when a student forgets an item)

• All visitors must present a form of identification and go through our visitor screening process for all visits that require entry into the school building; all visitors must also wear a lanyard or visitor badge provided to them for their entire visit.

• Visitors are asked not to hold doors open for others when entering or exiting the building during the school day, as these well-intentioned actions are not in alignment with our security protocols.

Thank you for your partnership on these items; we look forward to another successful school year where we all work together to maximize feelings of safety within our district buildings!

If you'd like to volunteer this year at any time as Isaac Fox you must do the following:

1. Complete a volunteer form and return a paper copy with signature to the front office.
2. Watch the volunteer video.
3. Complete this form that serves as your verification that you've complete steps 1 & 2.
4. Look for opportunities throughout the year to volunteer at Isaac Fox and sign up!

Understand that no changes in student transportation will be made without a written or verbal request from a parent or guardian.

Once we have established your designated travel, you must notify your child’s teacher and the office in writing or via phone call each time a change is made from that routine. If a change in transportation is necessary please adhere to the following guidelines: Notify the office of the dismissal change via note or phone call prior to 2pm.

We strongly discourage students from being dismissed between 2:30-2:50 pm due to the dismissal lines and buses at that time. If you need to pick your child up early, please arrange for a time prior to 2:30pm.

Our goal is to have every parent/guardian share their child's main plan for dismissal with us this school year using a form. If you've yet to do so, please complete this form for each of your children. You will only need to fill this form out once. Other changes to your student's dismissal process throughout the year can be made by emailing your student's teacher directly or notifying the front office via phone before 2pm if it's a same day change. Thank you to all who have already shared this information in this format.

At 7:55am our back parking lot is for staff only parking. If you are dropping off in the back of the school in the morning, please pull into the parking lot near the soccer field and our crossing guard will safely escort students across the street. Thank you for your cooperation!

To find more information about Free and Reduced Lunch Waivers and CUSD95 Fee Waivers, please visit our Business and Operations section of the LZ95 website: https://www.lz95.org/departments/business-operations.

There are two separate applications for 1)Free and Reduced Lunch Waivers and 2) CUSD 95 Fee Waivers. The School Board of Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 requires a separate application for a waiver of school fees (click here for board policy 4:130 on waiver of student fees) and free and reduced lunch.

Links to the forms, and information can be found under the section: Free & Reduced Lunch and Fee Waivers.